David Cole is the chairman of the Center For Automotive Research. As such, he is deeply connected to the industry and played a big role in organizing the Business of Plugging In expo in Detroit last week. We've talked with Cole in the past, and caught up with him at the expo to hear what the Michigan-centric conference can tell us about the future of plug-in vehicles in the mitten state.

With his company about to announce its first U.S. plant in Delaware, CEO Henrik Fisker was in high spirits and high demand at last week's Business of Plugging In conference in Detroit. We were able to pull the busy man aside for a few minutes to ask for more information on how his company plans to make money – will they really find 5,000+ people willing to pay $89,000 for the Karma plug-in hybrid? – and how the unusual development path that the Karma has been on has been good for the